


Make Your Own Promised Land

by amaresu



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Community: apocalyptothon, Gen, Podfic Available, apocalypse: black hole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-16
Updated: 2010-05-16
Packaged: 2017-10-09 11:59:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/87079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaresu/pseuds/amaresu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nero won, Earth was destroyed, and the Federation crumbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make Your Own Promised Land

**Author's Note:**

  * For [karrenia_rune](https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/gifts).



> Thanks to highlandemma for the most excellent beta job.

"Are we really going to do this?"

Gaila is the one to ask the question, but Uhura knows others are thinking it. She looks at the small group gathered in McCoy's office.

"Do we have a choice?"

No one answers. They all know the answer: they don't have a choice. They have the support of the majority of the crew. They have a viable alternative in the planet below them. If they don't act now, they'll never have a better chance.

"Maybe Captain Jameson will see things our way."

"Not bloody likely," Scott says from his place by the door. "He'll run us until the Enterprise falls apart around our ears."

Uhura nods at him before walking out the door. It's now or never; she can only hope that Jameson will step down quietly. They may be planning to mutiny, but there is no reason it had to be violent.

It's almost impossible to think that it's taken less than a year for the Federation to fall apart.

~.~.~

The plan was crazy. Impossible. But somehow no one thought for a second that Spock and Kirk wouldn't succeed.

But they hadn't. The entire crew watched in horror as the Narada was engulfed in a singularity.

What happened next wasn't clear in her memory, but she does remember Scott yelling at her, "There isn't anything to lock onto! I can't get them!"

She remembers telling Sulu to get them out of there and being surprised when he follows her orders.

The next thing she remembers is Chekov telling them the singularity had closed, and then looking at the viewscreens. Earth was gone. Half the solar system was gone. There was nothing left to do but go to the Laurentian System to rendezvous with the rest of the fleet.

After that it was a series of seemingly unending debriefings. She felt sure it was never going to end. The most surprising thing was her re-assignment to the Enterprise. Everyone who had been present during the battle with the Narada was re-assigned there. They were informed that they'd done their best, but sometimes you just can't win. They were told the Federation needed to be rebuilt and the Enterprise was the best ship to start the healing.

At the time she'd believed it.

~.~.~

The walk to the bridge takes longer then it should, but it's normal to them now. Normal to bypass the compartments that are sealed off because of hull-breaches they can't fix; normal to know which decks are impassable for the same reason. Scott was right; the ship is falling apart around them.

Walking onto the bridge is bizarre. Uhura hasn't been there since she returned to duty. Everyone turns to look at their party, Sulu nodding to let them know he's still with them. She's watching for it, and she barely sees him key in the override to lock everyone else out of the systems. Chekov looks at them with wide eyes and she wishes they could've brought him in, but no one was sure where he'd fall.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jameson is on his feet, fists clenched at his side.

She looks at him for a moment before taking a breath and saying the words that will damn them or free them.

"We're taking control of the ship."

Chekov looks shocked, but she sees his quick assessment of the bridge. He seems to find each and every one of their supporters, and Uhura can't help but think that they perhaps didn't give him enough credit.

Jameson doesn't bother looking around, secure in his own authority. "You can't be serious."

"We are."

She doesn't raise her voice. The goal is to end this as quickly and peacefully as possible.

"You, and anyone else who wishes to stand with you, will be given shuttles and enough supplies to reach Laurentian System."

Only then does Jameson look around the room and see how many people are standing with the mutineers and how many are clearly considering it.

"What do you plan on doing? The Federation won't stand for this."

It's a rote reply. Uhura doesn't insult him by laughing.

"The Federation won't stand for this? The Federation can't even provide material to fix its ships. The Federation is dying. The Denobulans are offering us the materials to make repairs in exchange for pulling in some asteroids for them to mine. It's a good deal - better then anything the Federation can offer."

She's not speaking to Jameson, but to the people behind him, and to the people listening over the ship's comm system. She's speaking to everyone who they weren't sure of and hadn't been able to talk to. The Denobulan's is a good offer and she hopes the people of the Enterprise see it that way.

In the end they only need to sacrifice two shuttles.

~.~.~

"This is ridiculous."

McCoy is stating the obvious, but it's all he can do as Uhura helps Gaila move her stuff into his quarters. Their quarters.

Scott toasts them with a glass of water from over by the wall. "Welcome to our humble, if overcrowded, abode."

They've all been living double bunked for months, but the loss of deck 23 has demanded triple and quadruple bunking. No one is allowed to waste resources to retrieve more than some clothes and bedding.

Gaila looks at the small space set aside for her, and Uhura can tell she's about to cry. Instead the Orion straightens her back, drops her stuff, and sits next to Scott. "How are we supposed to convince anyone to join the Federation when we're living like this?"

It's a good question; it's one that Uhura has been thinking about. She looks at McCoy before sitting down across from Gaila. Perhaps it's time to bring their idle speculation to other ears.

"We can't. But maybe we can do something else."

They both look at her like she's insane as she lays out what she's been hearing in Communications. Planets all over are breaking free from what's left of the Federation. Piracy is on the rise, but more importantly, other planets are offering goods and service to anyone who will help them.

It's insane, but McCoy helps defend her position when Scott and Gaila start telling her so.

Contemplating mutiny was ludicrous. Talking to McCoy about it on one of their drinking-mourning binges back when they still had alcohol was stupid.

Somehow, convincing Scott and Gaila to join them seems like coming to the end of a very long tunnel.

~.~.~

Despite the fact that she organized and lead the mutiny, Uhura never considered that they might vote her in as captain. It's ludicrous, but as close to unanimous as to not matter. Slowly she walks up to the captain's chair and sits.

"Everyone to your stations. Inform the Denobulans that we're accepting their offer."

The bridge empties of additional personnel quickly; the communications technician turns to her station and starts talking. Uhura is going to have to learn her name soon, learn a lot of names soon. The captain needs to know that sort of information.

For the first time in almost a year she feels optimistic about the future. It's not the future she planned - or would have wanted - a year ago. Still, it could have been worse, and almost was. She's also going to need to start assessing future jobs, figure out their new chain of command, and spend some time on working out how the pay is going to break down once the Enterprise is fully operational. All of that can come later.

"Mr. Chekov, please start assessing the asteroid field."

For now, they have some asteroids to find for the Denobulans.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Make Your Own Promised Land [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/385379) by [tinypinkmouse_podfic (tinypinkmouse)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypinkmouse/pseuds/tinypinkmouse_podfic)




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